Window well cover



Aug. 14, 1962 H. J. SLADE WINDOW WELL COVER Filed April 7, 1959 fHVE'HfUP L/[QBEQTJ 51.405

United States Patent 3,048,897 WINDGW WELL COVER Herbert J. Slade, 106 E. Olive St., Prospect Heights, Ill. Filed Apr. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 804,697 Claims. (Cl. 29-11) This invention relates to inexpensive light transmitting covers for basement window wells and the like. Particularly, this invention relates to reinforced plastic covers that are easily attached to the tops of semi-cylindrical metal window wells and are adapted to accommodate variations in the sizes and shapes of the tops of such window wells.

While the invention will hereinafter be specifically described in conjunction with window well casings of the semi-cylindrical metal type attached at their edges to a building foundation for spanning the window opening of such a foundation, it will be understood that the principles of this invention are generally applicable to window wells of any construction or shape, and, therefore, the covers of this invention are not limited for use with the specifically described and illustrated type of window well.

According to this invention a sheet or slab of light transmitting plastic material, such as for example, clear polyethylene or polypropylene plastic is cut or molded to cover the open top of a window well. The plastic is preferably reinforced with a metal strip or rod along the edge thereof that spans the window well immediately adjacent the building foundation. One or more metal clips are provided on the upper face of the sheet or slab adjacent its peripheral edge to engage the top Wall of the window well and cooperate with the reinforcing strip or rod for holding the cover in place. The reinforcing strip or rod peripherally extends beyond the plastic material and can be bent down at its extended ends to form retaining clips engaging the top of the window well adjacent the foundation.

If desired, the plastic sheet or slab can have an open central portion spanned by a screen for ventilation purposes. A lid can be provided to overlie the screen for closing the opening in cold or inclement weather.

An important feature of this invention is the provision of an inexpensive window well cover adapted to fit on top of conventional metal window wells which may vary in shape and size. The covers of this invention therefore need not be individually tailored for any particular metal window well because they overlap the well and can have their retaining means bent to accommodate different dimensions.

A further feature of this invention is to provide an inexpensive molded plastic window well cover which can be easily snapped on and removed from a conventional window well without requiring any particular skills or Another object of this invention is to provide a win dow well cover which will universally fit semi-cylindrical metal window wells.

Another object of this invention is to protect window Wells from the weather while accommodating circulation of air when desired.

3,048,897 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 A still further object of this invention is to provide inexpensive window well covers which do not obstruct light to the window.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a plastic window well cover with a reinforced edge to span the window well adjacent the foundation of a building. Another object of this invention is to provide a universal window well cover adapted for fitting metal window wells of various shapes and sizes.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of preferred examples only, illustrate two embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a window well equipped with a cover according to this invention and illustrating in horizontal cross section the foundation to which the window well is attached.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional view along the line IlII of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view along the line III--Ill of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

FiGURE 5 is an isometric view of a suitable clip or fastener for the window well covers of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of a modified window well cover according to this invention.

As shown on the drawings:

In FIGURES 1 and 2 the reference numeral 10 designates generally the basement foundation of a building having a window opening 11 therethrough with a con ventional basement window frame 12 secured in the opening. A metal window well casing 13 in the form of a semi-cylindrical open ended drum is mounted on the foundation 10 to span the window opening 11. The casing 13 is secured to the foundation at its edges by means of brackets 14, or the like. The top of the casing has an out-turned rounded bead l5 therearound.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the open bottom of the casing 13 extends below the bottom of the window opening 11 in the foundation and is partially covered with dirt or gravel 16 to a level below the sill 17 for the window frame 12. The open top of the casing projects above the window opening 11 and above ground level indicated at 18. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment the casing 13 is partially exposed above the ground level 18. To rigidify the casing, beads, such' as 19, can be embossed therearound. It will be appreciated that rough handling and building irregularities will vary the contour and shape of the casing 13 so that actually installed casings which are originally identical in size and shape may vary considerably in size and shape at different window openings of the same foundation.

In accordance with this invention the open top of the window well casing '13 is closed by a cover 20 cut or molded in the shape of a half disk of a large enough diarneter to overlie the bead 15 of the casing. The cover 20 is composed of a relatively rigid sheet or slab of light transmitting, preferably transparent, plastic 21. The sheet or slab should be rigid enough to support small children, snow, and the like.

Across the diameter of the half disk 21 there is embedded a metal strap 22 which extends laterally beyond the peripheral edge of the slab 21. If desired the margin of the slab adjacent the diameter which receives the strap 22 therethrough can be somewhat thickened as shown at 21a in FIGURE 2. The laterally extended ends of the strap 22 are initially projected straight outwardly from the periphery of the slab 21 as shown in dotted lines at 23 in FIGURE 3. However, when the cover 20 is positioned over the top of the window well casing 13 to rest on the bead 15 of the casing, the projected ends 23 of the strap are bent downwardly as shown at 24 in FIGURE 3 to engage the bead 15 and form retainers which will prevent lateral shifting of the cover.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 the diameter edge of the cover 20' is abutted against the outer face of the foundation wall above the window opening 11 and to prevent unauthorized shifting of the cover away from the foundation wall, one or more fasteners or clips 25, preferably of the type shown in FIGURE 5, are secured to the under face of the slab 21 adjacent the semi-circular margin thereof. These clips 25 are formed of bendable metal and include a base 26 with rivet holes 27 therethrough accommodating rivets such as 28 as shown in FIGURE 4 to secure the clip to the under face of the slab 21. An elongated central finger 29 projects forwardly from the base 26 to overlie the casing bead 15. The free end of this finger has a down turned portion 29a, which can be easily shaped to fit around the bead as shown in FIGURE 4.

A pair of depending fingers 30 extend downwardly from the base 26 on each side of the finger 29 and cuts 31 in the base accommodate ready bending of these fingers 30 to cause them to abut the inner face of the casing 13 inside of the bead as shown in FIGURE 4.

The clip 25 can therefore be bent and shaped to receive the bead 15 even though the position of this bead may be varied relative to the wall 10 and even though the bead may assume different shapes. The clip will hold the cover with sufficient firmness to insure maintenance of the cover in tight sealing engagement over the open top of the well casing.

A central portion of th slab 21 can be cut out to provide a vent opening 32 as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. This opening 32 is spanned by a screen 33 having a mounting frame 34 secured to the under face of the slab 21 by means of rivets or other fasteners 35. In such an arrangement the window 12 need not be equipped with a screen since the screen 33 will suffice while the opening 32 provides ventilation to the window.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the screen 33 covers the bottom of the opening 32 and a lid 36 of plastic material, the same as the slab 21, can be provided to fit in this opening 32 over the screen 33 for closing the vent during inclement weather or whenever desired. A lifting ring 36a can be secured to the lid to facilitate removal of the lid from the opening.

'In the alternative arrangement shown in FIGURE 6, the cover 20a can have the opening 32 therein spanned by a screen 37 which is molded directly into the slab 21 around the marginal edges thereof. Therefore, the frame 34 and the rivets 35 can be eliminated by molding the screen directly into the plastic material.

If desired the plastic material forming the sheet or slab 21 can be tinted to filter sunlight.

From the above description it will be understood that this invention now provides an inexpensive window well cover that can be mass produced and easily installed by the householder. It will be also understood that the vent opening illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 6 can be eliminated and the slab can be continuous. The covers of this invention can then be easily removed as desired in the summer months and used as storm covers only for the winter months.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cover for semi-cylindrical window well casings that are mounted on the outer faces of building foundation walls to span window openings through said walls which comprises a rigid slab of light transmitting material in the form of a half disk, a rigidifying metal insert adjacent the diameter of the half disk embedded in the material of the disk and extending beyond the circular peripheral edge of the disk, the extending portions of said rigidifying means being deformable to engage the top of the window well casing, and at least one clip extending from the bottom face of the half disk to engage the window well casing in spaced relation from the foundation wall for cooperating with the bent ends of the rigidifying means to: retain the half disk in fixed position on top of the casing.

2. A window well cover for a window well defined by a building wall and a casing secured at its ends to said wall and extending therefrom to provide an open top well which comprises a rigid slab of light transmitting impervious material dimensioned to seat on the top of said window well casing in abutting relation to said building wall for completely covering said window well, a rigid bar secured to said slab adjacent the building wall abutting edge of the slab and extending across the entire slab for reinforcing the span of said slab adjacent said building wall and detachably engaging the top of the window well casing, and clip means on said slab spaced from said reinforcing means detaohably engageable with the inner peripheral portion of the casing for holding the slab on the casing and against the building wall.

3. A window well cover for a well defined by a fiat building wall and a semi-cylindrical open end drum secured at its side edges to said Wall which comprises a sheet of light-transmitting plastic material of fiat continuous construction and suificiently rigid to support expected loads from snow, small children and the like, said sheet of plastic being of a half disc shape and sized for spanning the open top of said well, a metal bar secured to said slab parallel to and adjacent the straight diameter edge of the half disc and having deformable ends extending outwardly from said slab to rest upon and engage the top of the casing adjacent the building wall, and deformable clip means on said slab spaced from the bar for engaging the inner periphery of the casing away from the building wall, said deformable ends of the bar being adapted to engage the top edge of said casing and in cooperation with said clip means securing said slab in full well spanning position against the building wall and the casing whereby slight dimensional variations of the casing are accommodated.

4. A window well cover comprising a half disc of rigid impervious light transmitting plastic material having a central opening therethrough, said disc being sized for fitting against the building wall along the flat diameter edge thereof and for fitting over the top edge of a standard semi-cylindrical drum casing secured to said wall for cooperating therewith to define a window well, fasteners adjacent the flat diameter edge of the disc and adjacent the curvate flat peripheral edge of the disc to detachably engage the top edge of the drum casing for releasably uniting the disc and drum, a screen in said central opening of the disc, and a lid releasably seated in overlying relation to said opening for selectively closing the opening.

5. -A cover for window well casings that are mounted on the outer faces of building foundation walls to span window openings through the walls and cooperate therewith in defining a window well which comprises a rigid slab of light transmitting material in the shape of a half disc, a rigid metal bar adjacent the diameter edge of the half disc secured to the disc, said bar extending beyond the circular peripheral edge of the disc, the extending portions of said bar being deformable to engage the top of the window well casing, and at least one clip extending from the bottom face of the half disc to engage the inner peripheral portion of the window well casing in spaced relation from the deformable extending portions of the bar for cooperating therewith to retain the half disc in fixed relation on the casing and to hold the diameter portion of the half dise against the building wall. 5

Huffman Nov. 1, 1881 Carroll June 13, 1922 6 Keyes Jan. 12, 1932 Thesen July 6, 1937 Keyes Apr. 8, 1941 Pfieurner Dec. 23, 1952 Frisby July 24, 1956 Krelwitz Sept. 6, 1956 Robey May 28, 1957 Winnan Sept. 30, 1958 Kessler June 30, 1959 Druckhamer Aug. 11, 1959 

